At the airport & security

Please see our special assistance page that features a comprehensive breakdown of all the facilities available at London Southend Airport.

If you have a condition or disability and you feel that assistance would make your journey easier, then you should book assistance with your airline. Whether you have difficulties with mobility or a hidden disability including impaired sight, lack of hearing, autism or dementia, our staff will then be on hand to help.

If you have booked special assistance and are unable to travel through the airport without a carer or companion, we will ensure that they can accompany you throughout the entire journey. If you are travelling in a larger group then it would be best to nominate one person to stay with you.

London Southend Airport regularly meets and consults with disability organisations. We also engage with organisations working with hidden disabilities such as the Action on Hearing loss, Dementia Action Alliance and Guide Dogs for the Blind.

We constantly monitor our quality standards to ensure we are meeting our targets and commitments to passengers with reduced mobility and other needs. You can download our reporting data and other related leaflets and documents on the special assistance page of our website.

Accessible toilets are available before and after security and in baggage arrivals – so when you leave the plane, head through Passport Control first and they’ll be there on your way out.

Please make sure you have pre-booked any form of special assistance through your airline before travelling through London Southend Airport. If you travel without pre-booked special assistance, there may be some delay to the support we can provide.

Absolutely. Hearing loops are situated at the ticket desk, check-in desks and boarding gates and all customer service touchpoints throughout the terminal. Visual information is provided throughout the terminal via Flight Information Display Screens.

Yes, there are ample wheelchairs available for use at London Southend Airport. For assisted wheelchair use please ensure that you book this in advance with your airline. Unassisted wheelchair use can be provided via the intercom located at the Ticket Desk in the terminal near check-in or upon request to your airline or handling staff when your flight arrives.

We no longer offer this service, but you book Fear of Flying courses at London Stansted Airport.

You should continue to check the advice provided by airports and air carriers on what time to arrive at the airport. Our advice is to arrive two hours before your flight.

Passengers flying into the UK from other countries should check with their airline and the overseas airport from which they are travelling for advice. If you are transferring through an airport in the course of your journey you should also check what the arrangements are at that airport.

Parents/carers will be invited to carry babies or toddlers into the body scanner, where they will undergo a brief search by hand. If you wear a baby harness, please remove it and place in a tray to be screened separately.

Aviation security regulations in the UK can be found on the CAA website. Refer to advice for UK passengers.

All gels, creams, pastes, sprays and aerosols are liquids and count as restricted items. This includes drinks, water, toiletries, perfumes, cosmetics and food items that contain high volumes of liquid, such as soups, yoghurts, spreads and preserves.

Correct! You can now leave all liquids and electrical items in your cabin bag, thanks to the implementation of new state-of-the-art screening equipment at London Southend, known as C3 technology. Liquids and gels are only allowed in containers of up to 100ml.

You can carry essential medicines with you. There is no limit on the amount, but you will be asked to provide proof such as a doctor’s letter or prescription. All medicines will be subject to additional security screening.

Once in departures, liquids purchased in our retail stores can be taken onboard with you. All airlines permit one airport shopping bag. Please note that some airline rules include all Duty Free alcohol purchases are placed in the hold. This will be arranged for you at the departure gate by your chosen airline, so you can shop with confidence.

Yes, you can take knitting needles or crochet hooks with you both in your hand baggage and hold baggage.

If you have a pace maker or any other medical device that may be affected by walking through an archway metal detector, please advise our security officers prior to going through security. Make sure you have your medical card to state that you are wearing a sensitive medical device. The alternative will be a full body search, which can be conducted privately if required.

If you have a hip/joint replacement or any metal implants in your body, they are likely to set off the metal detector. If this happens, you will need to be searched by one of our security officers. There is no need to bring any proof of metal implants with you but letting our security officers know may be helpful.

Boots, heels and heavy footwear should be removed ahead of screening at security; a security officer might otherwise request that you remove shoes at random. Remove all metallic jewellery, belts, coats and any other removable items from your pockets before screening by body scanner. We advise that any high value items you remove are placed into your hand baggage to keep them safe and secure.

The body scanner system uses harmless millimetre-wave technology with frequencies which are significantly lower than those of a mobile phone, so there’s no health risk, even if you have a physical or medical condition.

Anyone can request a private search for either themselves or for their hand baggage if you have a valid reason, such as a condition that you may wish to be dealt with privately or if you’re carrying items that you do not wish to be searched in a public area. Ask a member of staff and we will arrange this for you. Any searches carried out in private will be witnessed by an additional security officer and you are welcome to have a travelling companion be there with you, too.

You have the right to refuse to go through our body scanners, but please prepare for questions by a member of staff for security reasons. The alternative can be an enhanced body search carried out in a private search area.

Once through security, there is no way to exit the airport before getting on your flight, except in the case of significant flight delay, where airport staff will be on hand to support you.

No hand or power tools may be carried in your cabin baggage. This includes screwdrivers, corkscrews, allen keys, drill bits or wallet tool cards. They can be packed in your hold baggage.

It’s also always worth checking with your airline first.

Yes, simply book using the dedicated page on our website and make sure the person you are purchasing for has a copy of the booking along with their boarding pass.

You can present a digital OR paper copy of your Fast Track ticket; although, as a sustainable airport we would encourage the paperless option. It’s always worth taking a screenshot of your ticket for quick, easy access.

Fast Track entry is based only on the validity of the pass and the quantity of the pass/es on the date of requested use, not on the name of the Fast Track purchaser. Hence Fast Track can be bought on behalf of a Fast Track user.

No. Fast Track is redeemed as a single use on a single date, meaning it is valid and completely flexible for the entire day of your booking.

We have a number of food and drink facilities at the airport, including The Pilot Café and SKYCAFÉ. These all serve a range of food and drink options, but please visit their specific pages for more detail.

From spring 2023, five ATMs will be located throughout the terminal near the check-in desks, the Departures lounge and in Arrivals. We’ll have more information on this soon.

Absolutely. You’ll find a Water Cooler at the top of the escalator, directly after security. Drinking water is also readily available in our food and beverage outlets.

Yes, this room is landside, adjacent to the ticket desk. Please speak to a member of staff if you need further guidance.

Yes, there’s a postbox next to the desks at Check-In – please note that this is only accessible when the terminal is open.

Yes – shower facilities are located landside (meaning, before you move through security) near the check-in desks. Please speak to a member of airport staff for further guidance.

Yes, trolleys are located in baggage arrivals and all car parks.

Yes, there is a lift located immediately to the right of the check-in desks (as you look at them), and escalators clearly visible upon entrance to the terminal building. Similarly, once you have moved through security, there is a lift to take you down into the Departures lounge.

Yes, our dedicated airport hotel, the Holiday Inn, is walking distance from the main terminal.

There is a dedicated area outside the front of the main terminal building before check-in. Please note that there are no smoking facilities located in departures.

Please complete our Lost Property Form and a member of the team will get back to you as soon as possible. For items lost on an aircraft, please contact your airline.

No. Only guide or assistance dogs are permitted.

Yes. To access, open Settings on your phone and select Wi-Fi > ‘London Southend Airport’ should automatically appear. Select this option and follow the instructions on-screen. Visit our WiFi page to learn more.

Yes, shops and restaurants will be open from two hours before your scheduled flight departure time.

COVID-19 tests are not available to purchase at the airport.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic and the lifting of all government restrictions, London Southend Airport has kept some general measures in place to keep our airport clean, and our staff and passengers safe.

Hand sanitiser stations are located every 20 paces around the terminal. Hand washing facilities are also available in all toilets.

No, we do not provide pushchairs for passengers. Travellers are welcome to bring their own, and these can be taken through security following a thorough check, but they must then be placed in the hold of the aircraft upon boarding. Details on how your chosen airline looks after all styles of pushchair can often be found on their website.

We encourage passengers to ‘share your feedback’ on the Contact Us page, or by completing an experience survey on our WiFi home page.

Whilst the SKYLIFE Lounge itself remains closed, we are delighted to offer a limited availability lounge facility within The Pilot Café.

Whilst it is not mandatory to wear a face covering in and around the airport, we of course recommend the practise if it is what makes you feel most comfortable as a passenger.

Yes, but you can only spend Euros in World Duty Free and WHSmith at present.

It’s always best to refer to the latest Government advice on this topic, as it can change! Familiarise yourself with the most up-to-date guidance before you travel.

Shops at London Southend Airport include WHSmith and World Duty Free. Find out more about shopping at London Southend Airport.

The airport opens three hours prior to departure time, and remains open until one hour after the time of arrival, allowing for any delays.

At the moment, you can only reserve and collect in-store before your flight. There is currently no option to collect on your return to the UK, given changes post-Brexit.

No, the terminal closes approximately one hour after the final flight has departed. Please do not attempt to wait/sleep overnight at the airport.

We have many transport options connecting to London Southend Airport for those early/late flights. To find out more visit our advice on getting to and from the airport.

London Southend Airport is a popular filming location (just ask James Bond!). Either fill out an enquiries form or contact us directly at [email protected] providing information about the production, duration of filming, crew size and contact details and we will get straight back to you.

We are currently focusing all our resources on attracting new airlines and increasing passenger numbers so we’re not able to fulfil as many school/club visits and careers events as we were pre-pandemic.

We are now starting to benefit from good signs of recovery with more routes coming on board, but we still have a little way to go. Once we are a bit more back on our feet, we will hopefully resume school/club visits and community events again.

All of our car parks are a short walk to the terminal and easy for families travelling with young children to use. Learn more about our parking options.

Baby changing facilities are located before and after security and in baggage arrivals.

Families with young children (five and under) can use the Fast Track lane when presenting boarding passes; however, you will then join the normal security queue after this.

We don’t have a dedicated area; however, please speak to a member of our SKYLIFE Lounge or airport team who should be able to facilitate a private space for you.

Yes. Baby milk and food can be purchased at WHSmith, provided that stocks are available.

We would love to hear from you! For information about the vacancies we are currently advertising, please see our careers page.

Whilst we are a key supporter and partner of local education programmes, educational institutions, employment initiatives and projects designed to develop skills within the community, we are unable to offer work experience placements at this time. As we grow, we hope to be able to offer work experience opportunities.  Check back later in the year to see if anything has changed!

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